Samsung

Samsung plans to return a record $80 billion payout to its shareholders. The South Korean chipmaker has come under pressure regarding its profits. These bumper profits are attributed to the ongoing AI boom.

Samsung, a South Korean chipmaker, is planning a $72 billion shareholder return programme. The company plans to allocate 50% of its free cash flow toward this program, which will include issuing a special dividend.

Samsung plans to raise its contract chip-manufacturing prices by up to 15% due to surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI). This pricing adjustment is linked to the operation of the company's SF4 production line at its Pyeongtaek plant, which has been running at full capacity since late last year.

South Korean chipmakers SK Hynix and Samsung extended their gains following a local media report. The report indicated that Singapore's Temasek Holdings Pte plans to invest in the stocks of these companies.

A user reported encountering a "You're invited" Punchbowl scam link first on a Samsung phone and then on their PC. The link reportedly required viewing from a Windows machine and caused alarms when opened on the desktop. After shutting down the PC and changing their email password using another device, the user is concerned about potential compromise of both phones and PCs even without having logged in.

South Korea's financial regulator approved leveraged single-stock ETFs for Samsung and SK Hynix, which saw local investors pour $9.4 billion into them. When tech stocks experienced a correction due to concerns about AI and competition, the leveraged products suffered severe losses—more than double the underlying stock declines. This phenomenon is due to volatility decay, which severely penalizes long-term investment in such volatile markets.

Major PC manufacturers like Acer, Asus, and HP are using limited quantities of Chinese memory chips from CXMT due to a global memory shortage driven by AI data center demand. DRAM costs have tripled in 18 months, prompting some manufacturers to recycle outdated components, while concerns persist over supplier relationships and U.S. government designations linking CXMT to the Chinese military.

Samsung has announced next-gen 3D memory technology, which is primarily targeted at data centers rather than consumer devices like consoles or PCs. The article highlights a contrast between this advanced offering and the current demand for affordable DDR5 memory.

Samsung is banning smart TV apps that expose users' internet connections. The company aims to protect user privacy by preventing such apps from accessing or revealing network information.

Samsung has banned smart TV apps that share users' internet connections with strangers. The decision follows new security research highlighting risks associated with residential proxy networks that use such apps to share internet access.

Samsung has launched an AI-powered health assistant, entering a competitive market where Whoop and Google's Fitbit Air also offer AI health coaching features.

The article discusses how foldable phones, pioneered by Royole with the FlexPai and later Samsung's problematic Galaxy Fold, have become less exciting, which is seen as positive news for Apple.

Major Chinese smartphone manufacturers have adopted silicon carbon batteries in their devices, and Samsung has incorporated them into the new Fold lineup. The technology is being explored as a potential solution to smartphone battery life limitations.

Asian stocks rebounded with the yen surging due to signs of intervention. The Kospi index rose as SK Hynix and Samsung regained value following days of heavy selling.

Samsung reported a record operating profit of 89.5 trillion won ($62 billion) and revenue of 171.5 trillion won for Q2, marking a 1,814% and 130% increase respectively. Despite the financial gains, Samsung's shares fell. SK Hynix also reported a record profit.

Samsung's chip division saw a 250-fold increase in quarterly operating profit due to high semiconductor demand, while Meta reported lower revenue forecasts and an $8 billion free cash flow hit from AI investments. Alphabet also experienced negative free cash flow for the first time due to AI spending, highlighting divergent outcomes in the AI buildout.

Samsung achieved record-setting profits amid high demand for memory chips and severe supply constraints. However, investors remain skeptical due to concerns about the sustainability of the AI capital expenditure boom and competition from low-cost Chinese chips.

Samsung's mobile division reported its first-ever loss due to rising memory prices, while its chip division is performing in the opposite direction profit-wise.

Ether and XRP prices remain flat as chip stocks stabilize due to Samsung's significant 250-fold profit increase. The cryptocurrency market shows no major movement despite the semiconductor sector's positive performance.

Korean investors are experiencing significant stress due to the burst of the AI bubble, leading to 'unprecedented' losses as Samsung and SK Hynix stocks decline.

An engineer in Hwaseong, South Korea, uses AI to detect defects in semiconductor production but must leave work due to labor laws. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Samsung leaders are highlighted in the context of AI's impact on work practices.

Google and Samsung are entering the smart-glasses market with a focus on AI assistants rather than hardware, showcasing prototypes powered by Gemini and partnerships with brands like Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. They aim to challenge Meta’s dominance, which achieved 7 million pair sales through its EssilorLuxottica collaboration, by emphasizing AI integration with existing ecosystems and addressing privacy concerns.

The US has formed a partnership with 24 countries, including Australia, Germany, Japan, and the UK, to coordinate 6G strategies and prevent Chinese dominance in telecommunications. The initiative, led by the Trump administration, involves companies like Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung and precedes a UN conference in Shanghai next year to set international standards for wireless networks.

South Korea’s Kospi and U.S. semiconductor indices fell sharply amid panic over AI investment and chip market volatility. Memory prices remain high, with DRAM contracts rising 20%-30% in Q3, while Chinese companies like CXMT and state-backed firms are raising concerns about production capabilities. Analysts argue the panic is overblown, noting supply constraints and EUV lithography advantages for Western firms.

Samsung semiconductor workers are leaving for rival SK Hynix due to significantly higher bonuses, with SK Hynix offering $476,000 per employee compared to Samsung’s $135,000 in its foundry division. The exodus reflects a talent war fueled by SK Hynix’s record profits from high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI accelerators, while Samsung ties bonuses to divisional performance, demoralizing employees.

The sell-off in AI stocks has intensified, causing Samsung and SK Hynix to fall over 10% as investors worry about AI spending risks, Chinese competition, and high borrowing by AI firms for datacentre expansions. South Korea’s stock market hit a three-month low amid the decline.

The sell-off in AI stocks has intensified, with Samsung and SK Hynix dropping more than 10% due to concerns over AI spending and Chinese competition. South Korea’s stock market fell to its lowest level in three months as investors avoided chip stocks amid fears about AI companies' borrowing for datacentre expansion.

The AI stock sell-off has intensified, with Samsung and SK Hynix dropping over 10% due to concerns over AI spending and Chinese competition. South Korea’s stock market fell to a three-month low as investors dumped chip stocks amid fears about AI companies’ borrowing for datacentre expansions.

A wallet was likely stolen at a beach, leading to subscription bombing and a fraudulent $900 Samsung tablet purchase via Best Buy. The victim delayed updating credit card numbers and eventually canceled the order and changed account credentials.

The Kospi index and U.S. stock futures rose as U.S.-Iran negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz and a pause in hostilities reduced tensions, while Wall Street anticipates the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting. Oil prices fell amid the de-escalation, and tech stocks led market gains.

Foxconn has adopted Singaporean hyperconverged infrastructure vendor Arcrfra to replace VMware in some remote offices and for GPU virtualization workloads, including AI. The move aims to modernize distributed factory infrastructure and improve AI model delivery, with Arcrfra's Neutree platform deployed across Foxconn's global branch factories.

Europeans are increasingly adopting air conditioning due to record heat waves, shifting attitudes toward cooling solutions. Sales of AC units by companies like Samsung and Midea have surged in countries such as Italy, Spain, and France. A market analyst notes this trend is structural, reflecting long-term changes in European climate adaptation.

A father was scammed after a fraudster posed as Xfinity, using accurate account details to convince him to return a newly purchased phone and tablet. The scammer provided precise information about the devices and delivery address, leading to the items being stolen. Xfinity confirmed the scam, but the victim must still pay over $1,000 for the phone and faces limited recourse.

Samsung Wallet will add stablecoin support, including USDC. The company demonstrated a wallet mockup holding Circle's USDC at Galaxy Unpacked, though specific details remain limited.

Samsung and SK Hynix are set to announce major memory chip deals with U.S. tech firms. South Korea's presidential policy chief states the agreements will involve 'very large' figures and include long-term supply contracts and strategic investment partnerships.

Samsung has released its slimmest flip phone to date, which includes a $200 gift card as part of a limited-time deal.

A grandmother received a suspicious call from a number displaying EE's caller ID, despite being a Labara mobile and BT home phone customer. The caller discussed contract renewal, prompting concerns about a tech support scam. The recipient's Samsung phone, which identifies spam calls, may have mislabeled BT's number as EE's.

Elon Musk thanked Samsung, TSMC, and Micron during Tesla's earnings call for supplying semiconductor chips amid a global shortage. The chip scarcity, driven by AI data center demand and shifts in production, has increased prices and affected industries like consumer electronics and automotive manufacturing.

Pakistan has invited Samsung to establish a regional hub for manufacturing, refurbishing, and exporting mobile phones, with the government pledging support to boost exports and industrial production. Samsung highlighted concerns about tariff structures and commercial imports of used devices undermining local manufacturing.

A new stock sector called 'memi'—combining memory and semiconductors—is driving growth in global equities due to AI's demand for memory chips. Micron Technology, SK Hynix, and Samsung, the top memory-chip manufacturers, have seen significant stock gains and trillion-dollar valuations, though risks arise if tech companies reduce spending.